Argentina blasts David Cameron's 'colonialism' comments on the Falklands

Argentina lashes out at David Cameron after he accuses Buenos Aires of "colonialism"
over the Falklands

10:49PM GMT 18 Jan 2012

Argentine officials labelled comments by David Cameron, as "offensive" after he accused the South American country of "colonialism" for claiming sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.

Tensions between Britain and Argentina were reignited last month almost 30 years after the two countries went to war over the British-ruled islands.

A day after the National Security Council discussed the Falklands' defences, Mr Cameron told parliament Britain was committed to protecting the South Atlantic islands and added that people there should be allowed to decide their own nationality.

Argentina's Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo said Mr Cameron's comments were offensive and that he hoped Britain would accept Argentina's sovereignty over the islands.

"The truth is it is completely offensive, especially coming from Great Britain whose history clearly shows its attitude to the world. We hope the UN resolution which is recognised by most countries in the world will be respected and Great Britain will sit down and discuss the sovereignty of Argentina (over the Falkland Islands) for which to us there is nothing to discuss, the Malvinas belong to Argentina," he said.

The Prime Minister's view was underscored by Foreign Secretary William Hague during a visit to Argentina's neighbours Brazil on Wednesday.

"We believe in the self-determination of the people of the Falkland Islands and that will always remain the British view. And for us that is a matter of their rights, of their human rights, political rights ... We believe in democracy, we believe in self-determination and in the United Nations charter. And so that will continue to be our view and that was what our prime minister was expressing his view, our view, in the House of Commons today," he said.